Engine starter



Spt. l0, 1935. R P. l[ ANSJNC.; 2,014,258

ENGINE STARTER Filed May 6, 1952 7 6 INVENToR.' Raymond P. Lanai/7g h ,TZWZM AT NEY I.

Patented Sept. 10, 1935 PATENT FFICE` ENGINE STARTER Raymond P. Lansing, Montclair, N. J., assignor,

by mesne assignments, to Eclipse Aviation Corporation, East Orange, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 6, 1932, Serial No. 609,742

1 Claim. (C1. 12S- 179) 'Ihis invention relates to starters for engines such as internal combustion engines and more particularly to mechanism for controlling the operation of such starters; although in certain re- 5 spects the invention is capable of a wider application.

One of the objects of the present invention isto provide a novel engine starter structure and novel means in combination therewith for controlling the operation of said starter.

Another object is to provide a relatively light- Weight starter adapted for use in starting heavy duty engines such as large stationary gas engines and engines installed in modern high-powered l5 trucks.

A further object is to provide a novel transmission mechanism for safely operating an engine starter Without dependence upon the skill of the operator.

The above and further objects and novel features of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein one embodiment of thel invention is shown. It isto beexpressly understood, however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration only and is not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference beinghad for this purpose to the appended claims.

The drawing shows a central longitudinal section with certain parts in elevation, illustrating an embodiment of the present invention.

An internal combustion engine starter embodying the present invention, as shown, comprises a housing member 5 having a housing plate 6 suitably attached to the outer face thereof. Plate 6 has, in turn, a gear housing 'I attached to its outer face by any suitable means such as the bolts indicated.

A power driven starter has been chosen for illustration by way of example, and the driving means therefor as shown, consists of a motor 8 secured in any suitable manner to housing members 5 and 6. The shaft 9 of said motor is supported at one end by a ball bearing III mounted in the inner endof housing member 5, the other end being journalled in the centrally bored hub of the plate 6. For the purpose of storing up the energy developed in motor 8 in order that suflicient energy may be available for cranking large high compression engines, an inertia element is provided and, as here shown, consists of a nywheel Il drivably connected as by means of splines, to a reduced extended portion of motor shaft 9, and held thereon by means of a set screw I2. Adjacent flywheel II and likewise drivably mounted on shaft 9 is a pinion I3 which is in constant mesh with a spur gear I4; the latter being drivably connected, as by splines, to a hollow driving shaft I5 which is rotatably mounted 5 in a suitable hub I6 formed in plate 6. Shaft I5 is held from axial movement by a suitable annular abutment I1 bearing against the hub I6, and by a nut I8 threadedly received on one end of said shaft. The nut I8 also serves to maintain l0 spur gear I4 on said shaft.

A disengageable friction and positive power transmitting unit forms a portion of the power transmitting train between the flywheel II and a member of an engine to be started, (and which 15 is hereinafter referred to as a combination drive unit), is provided so that the starter may be disconnected from the engine while said flywheel is being energized. It is desirable to obtain a smooth noiseless engagement of the rotating and 20 non-rotating parts as the starter effects connection with the engine, and it is for accomplishing this result that the combination drive unit is provided. In the form shown, this unit consists of a jaw or toothed clutch member I9, drivably con- 25 nected as by means of splines, to the driving shaft I5. An annular friction member 20 having substantially a U-shaped radial cross section may be splined to the outer periphery of clutch I9, thereby being constrained to rotate with said 30 clutch member but being capable of longitudinal movement relative thereto. A friction surface 2|` of member 20 is concentric with the clutch teeth on member I 9 but is normally offset axially therefrom in the direction in which the members are 35 moved for engagement with a member to be herelnafter described.

Resilient means are provided for yieldingly resisting relative longitudinal movement between members I9 and 20 and for maintaining the lat- 40 ter member in its normal leading position. Such means, as illustrated, are constituted by an annular series of coil springs 22 concentrically arranged about clutch member I9 and interposed between friction member 20 and an annular 45 plate 23 suitably secured, as by means of set screws, to the outer end of clutch member I9.

Friction member 20 and clutch member I9 are adapted to successively and cooperatively engage a second clutch member 24 rigidly mounted on a 50 driven shaft 25 and maintained thereon by a nut threaded onto the end of 4said shaft. Member 24 is provided on its outer lateral face with jaws or clutch teeth adapted to mesh with the jaws or'teeth of member I9, and with a fric-f v bracket 33.

slotted to receive a. pin 43, and connecting theretion surface concentric withv said teeth and adapted to be engagedby the friction member 20. Preferably vshaft -is constructed in two parts, namely, an inner smooth portion 25a, and a. coarsely threaded'portion 25h provided with a reduced end portion firmly threaded into an lnteriorly threaded portion of 25a.; the latter part thus forming a shoulder to limit the movement ofthe meshing unit to be hereinafter-described in detail. lThis shaft as shown, is rotatably supported at one end by a transversely disposed wall or spider 26 formed integrally with the housing member 5 and at its other end by any suitable means such as by bracket 21 in which is journalled the end of said shaft. Said bracket is shown suitably secured to and supported by housing member 5.

Any suitable means may be provided for effecting a driving engagement between driven shaft 25 and a member of the engine on which the starter is mounted, and the preferred means which is herein illustrated will now be described. 'Ihe coarsely threaded portion 25h of shaft 25 has mounted thereon a screw sleeve or nut 29,

and drivably connected to said screw member by means of coil spring 30 is a, pinion 3| mounted on the smooth portion of shaft 25 for relative axial and rotary movement thereon. When the latter shaft starts rotating, there is,.by virtue of the inertia of members 29 and 3I, a relative rotation between said members and shaft, causing the screw threads of member 29 to coact with those of shaft 25h, thus moving pinion 3| axially and into engagement with a gear 32 of the engine to be started. The axial movement oi screw member 29 is limited, as noted above,

` cuit to motor 8. Such means, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, are constituted by a manually operable mechanical linkage supported primarily by a guide bracket 33 rigidly supported by a stationary part such as housing member 1 with which it is shown integral. Manual actuating means for closing the starter switch are shown as consisting of a push rod 34 operating in a guide 35 which may be fastened to the floorboard 36 or other suitable stationary part. The rod 34 has a button 31 on one end thereof and a member 38 threaded on its other end. Pivotally connected to the lower bifurcated end of member 38 is a, link 39 which is in turn pivotally connected at its lower forked end by means of a. pin 4| to the upper portion ofan arm 42 which is in turn pivoted at its lower end to the Below the pivot pin 4|, arm 42 is with ls a rod 44 which carries a transversely dis- 'posed bridge or contact 45 adapted to close the circuit to motor 8 by bridging the contacts 46 which may be rigidly mounted in a housing 41 secured to casing 1.I

Novel means are provided in combination with the above described switch-operating linkage for engaging the combination drive unit of the starter .drive train. Such means in the form shown, "comprises a spring 5| surrounding a' flanged sleeve 51 which in turn surrounds a control member or operating rod 52 slidably extending through the hollow shaft I5 and having a reduced end portion which passes through a central opening in clutch member I9, the latter being rotatively maintained ony rod 52 by means of a nut threaded onto the end of said rod.

The rod 52 extends outside of the starter casing and is prevented from rotating by a yoke 53 integral with and extendingl upwardly from bracket 33 through which a square portion 54 of the rod 52 is adapted to slide. The outer end of rod 52 is bifurcated as at 55, and carries a pin 56 adapted to be received'in a slotted portion of arm 10 42. When the operator releases button 31, spring 5| is effective, through the abutment member 53, flanged sleeve 51 and pin 58, to move the operating rod 52 to the right, thereby effecting engagement of the combination drive unit to estab- 15 lish a driving connection between the driving means and shaft 25.

`The cycle of operation is as follows: With all parts in their normal non-operating positions, the operator pushes the button 31 from the bro- 20 ken line position shown in the drawing, downward toward the fioorboard 36, this motion being effective through link 39, arm 42, and rods 44 and 52 to de-mesh elements I9 and 24, and also to close the switch 45, 46. The motor 'is thus ener- 25 gized; but since the combination drive unit is now disengaged, the energy of the motor is utilized to store up kinetic energy in the motor armature and iiywheel II.

When suiiicient energy has been built up in 30* the motor armature and flywheel I I, to overcome the inertia of the engine, and crank the same, the operator releases button 31, whereupon spring 5| becomes operative through rod 52, arm 42 and rod 44 to open switch 45, 46in the control circuit 35 (not shown) of the motor 8. At the same time the movement o f operating rod 52 to the right causes the shoulder on the latter to move mem bers I9 and 20 to the right.

Friction member 20, which leads member I9, now engages the friction surface f member .24 thus imparting an initial movement to said member whereby shaft 25 is rotated; the drive being from the armature and flywheel II, throughpinion I3, spur gear I4, shaft I5 and gear member 45 I9 to friction member 2|).I During this drive to the shaft 25 by way of friction member 20, the threads of screw member 29 and those 'of shaft 25 coact to move said unit to the right and mesh the pinion 3| with the engine member 32. spring 5I continues to move the operating'rod to the right against the pressure of springs 22, thus moving the teeth of member I9 into mesh with the teeth of member 24. During the engagement of said gear members the speed of shaft 25, by 55- virtue of the aforementioned frictional engagement, is substantially equal to that of the gear member I9, permitting therefore, a smooth noiseless engagement of the gear teeth-while establishing a positive drivingl engagement from the 30"" de-mesh the driving unit through the coaction of screw member 29 and threaded. portion 25h of shaft 25; but in view of the opposition of spring 5I, rod 52 is not operative to disengage elementsl |9-24 until the arm 42 is actuated in response to the inauguration of a new cycle of operation,

The 50' involving a repetition of all the steps above outlined.

It will be clear from the foregoing description that there has been provided a starter involving a novel and useful combination of parts and novel means for controlling the operation thereof. An embodiment of the invention has been shown and described which, as it may be readily seen, attains the various objects of the invention and is well suited to meet the requirements of practical use. It is, however, to be expressly understood that many changes can be made in the above construction and that the invention might be readily embodied in various other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawing are not to be construed as in any way limiting the scope of the invention. For a definition of the limits of the invention, reference will be had to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

In an engine starter, a starting motor, means for transmitting power from said motor to a. member of an engine to be started, said means including a toothed member normally out of driving engagement with the engine member, motion translating means for moving said toothed member longitudinally into driving engagement, said motion translating means including a screw and nut drivably connected to said toothed member, said screw having a clutch element rotatable therewith, means driven by said motor and adapted only to frictionally drive said clutch element and screw while causing longitudinal movement of said nut and corresponding longitudinal movement of said toothed member into driving engagement, and positive means for drivably corrnecting said motor and clutch element only after such engagement has been effected in the manner herein recited.

RAYMOND P. LANSING. 20 

